Forest Conservation Program
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| Prince William Sound |
ACE's View
Alaska Center for the Environment's Wild Forest Program, safeguarding Alaska's Tongass and Chugach National Forests for future generations, advocates for well-balanced conservation management and sustainable use of our public resources.
Focus
Although the program’s primary focus is to permanently protect special places in South Central Alaska’s backyard- the Chugach, efforts to prevent exploitation of the Tongass’s timber resources and wildlands remain paramount.
Wild Forests
As the country's two largest National Forests, the Chugach and Tongass combined, contain the largest remaining acreage of un-roaded Old-Growth Temperate Rainforest on the planet. In addition to providing critical wildlife habitat, these forests are crucial to Alaska's subsistence needs and our fishing and tourism industries-as well as providing some of the countries most beloved recreational places.
More information:
Current Issues
Comment on proposals that directly impact wildlife in Alaska
Hello Chugach Defenders,
The Alaska Board of Game will be holding their statewide regulations cycle B meeting in Anchorage January 25-28, 2008 at the Coast International Inn, 3450 Aviation Avenue. Please consider either attending the meeting or submitting comments on proposals directly impacting wildlife in Alaska.
There are two proposals which would limit trapping activities in the Chugach State Park.
Proposal 59 limits the size and types of traps which can be used, therefore discouraging the trapping of rare wolverines within the park. Proposal 60 would establish a 5 mile “no trapping” buffer along trails and trailheads within the park. If you are concerned about safety issues within the park or are unhappy about the Board of Game’s decision to open the park to wolverine trapping, these two proposals are worth supporting.
A few other noteworthy proposals that deserve comment:
Proposal 3 would expand the area where hunters can fly in and shoot black bears that same day (right now, this is only allowed in limited “predator control” areas), and further sanctions the use of bait or scent lures and allows hunters to shoot bears as close as 300 feet from their aircraft.
Proposal 40 would approve the hunting of mother bears (sows) and bear cubs on more than 60,000 square miles of the state, going against decades of tradition without any biological justification for doing so.
Proposal 41 would allow hunters to disturb or destroy wolf dens (also known as "denning"), a practice generally condemned as unethical hunting that has been outlawed for many years. It would also extend wolf hunting season to May 31st statewide with a bag limit of 10 wolves per day, which could cause wolf pups to be orphaned and left for dead if adult members of their pack are killed. The extension is unnecessary and wolf pelts will be past their prime by late May.
Proposal 42 would permit hunters to bait wolves statewide. Skilled hunters and trappers already have all the tools they need to harvest wolves without using artificial bait stations.
There are a total of 77 proposals with a wide range of ideas represented. For a complete overview, go to:
http://www.boards.adfg.state.ak.us/gameinfo/meetinfo/2007-2008/jan08-prop.pdf
When writing comments to the Board of Game, please reference the proposal number, whether you support or oppose it and a brief description of your position. Note that written comments become public documents once submitted.
Send your written comments, by mail or FAX only, by 5:00 Friday, January 11, 2008 to:
ATTN: BOG COMMENTS
Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Boards Support Section
P.O. Box 115526
Juneau, AK 99811-5526
Or Fax: 907-465-6094
Please take the time to personalize this sample letter:
Dear Board of Game,
Thank you for this opportunity to comment on proposals that are up for consideration at the January Board of Game meetings.
As a user of Chugach State Park:
* I support Proposal 59 to limit the size of traps used in the Park to help prevent extremely rare wolverines (which are larger than other fur-bearing animals) from being ensnared under existing trapping regulations. The current estimate for the number of wolverines in the entire Chugach State Park is a dozen or less. The recent decision by the Board of Game to open the park to wolverine trapping has been very controversial with the public due to the concerns about safety as well as questions about the sustainability of targeting such a unique and rare species. A show of support for Proposal 59 will demonstrate to the public that the Board of Game is willing to take citizen input seriously.
* I also support Proposal 60 to create a 5-mile "no-trapping" buffer zone around from roads and trailheads in the Park to protect park visitors and further prevent the trapping of wolverine in these areas.
As an Alaskan who values sound, science-based, ethical hunting laws, I hope you will oppose the following proposals: (#’s 3, 40, 41 and 42).
* Proposal 3 would encourage bear baiting by expanding the area where hunters can fly in and shoot black bears that same day (right now, you can only do this in limited "predator control" areas). Bear baiting is a controversial practice due, in part, to the lack of a “fair chase” and this method of taking should not be expanded. Oppose
* Proposal 40 would sanction the hunting of sows with bear cubs in more than 60,000 square miles of the state, going against decades of tradition where cubs and mother bears have been protected from hunting. Oppose
* Proposal 41 would allow hunters to disturb or destroy wolf dens, a practice that has been generally condemned as unethical hunting and outlawed or traditionally avoided for many years.
This proposal would also extend wolf hunting season to May 31st statewide with a bag limit of 10 wolves per day. The extension is unnecessary and, furthermore, wolf pelts will be past their prime by late May. Oppose
* Proposal 42 would authorize using bait to hunt wolves statewide. Skilled hunters and trappers have all the tools they need to harvest wolves without using artificial bait stations. Oppose
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
Wolverine Trapping in Chugach State Park
The Alaska Board of Game met in March 2007, voting 5-2 in favor of a proposal to open a trapping season for wolverines within the boundaries of the Chugach State Park, despite a "strong negative recommendation" by Department of Fish and Game biologists. After a well-attended public meeting where testimony overwhelmingly opposed wolverine trapping in the park (based on biologist recommendations and concerns for public safety), the Chugach State Park Citizen Advisory Board asked that the decision be revisited. On August 9th, the BOG denied the request and voted unanimously to not revisit their decision. Wolverines are targeted by trappers using large traps called Conibear-330s, which can suffocate a large animal in less than a minute and are extremely difficult to disarm. At the public meeting, several people testified about their dogs getting killed by these types of traps.
We can still urge the Division of State Parks to prohibit Conibear traps within park boundaries to protect public safety. You can help: let the state parks division know that you want Chugach State Park to continue to be a safe place for recreationists and their pets by writing a letter to:
Chris Degernes, Chief of Field Operations
State of Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation
550 West 7th Ave. Suite 1380
Anchorage, AK 99501-3651
You can also let the Board of Game know that the public does not approve of their decision to allow wolverine trapping in Chugach State Park by emailing a 'Letter to the Editor' to the Alaska Daily News.
Background:
The recent decision by the Alaska Board of Game to allow the trapping of wolverines within the Chugach State Park is deeply troubling for several reasons. State biologists who testified at the hearings warned the Board that the wolverine population in this game management unit cannot sustain this amount of additional harvest.
The ecommendations by State biologists went unheeded, in order to benefit a few trappers. Wolverines used to be widely distributed across most of the arctic and sub-arctic regions in North America and Canada, but has largely disappeared from most of the eastern US and Canada. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s website claims that “The continued health of wolverine populations in Alaska is best assured by both protecting large expanses of wilderness and preventing overharvest”.
The Chugach State Park is a popular destination for hikers and skiers, who far outnumber trappers who are utilizing this area. Bird Creek, Indian and Peters Creek watersheds all lie within a 20 minute drive of Anchorage, the State’s most populous city. It does not seem safe or appropriate to allow baited traps of a size that can readily kill dogs, who, incidentally are allowed to accompany their people without a leash in these areas.
The timing for this opening is of concern as well. Wolverines typically give birth between January and April. The season to trap these animals is December 15-January 31. If a trapper takes a female, there is a good chance that she has a litter depending on her for their survival. So, one wolverine loss turns into several mortalities.
The other issue that bears mentioning here is the Board of Game itself. Since this Board is making decisions about a resource that is technically for all Alaskans to enjoy, then it is time to balance it out to include a nonconsumptive wildlife perspective. Governor Palin had an opportunity to add balance to the Board, but instead renominated two incumbents despite the fact that there were 13 other applicants. Alaska Statute 16.05.221(b) requires diverse interests and points of view to be represented on the Board of Game. If your viewpoints are not being represented by this board, please let Governor Palin know by calling her in Anchorage at 269-7450 or in Juneau at 465-3500. She can be reached by e-mail here.
For more information about wolverines themselves, visit:
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife/new/meso/wolverine.html
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/furbear/wolverin.php
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